


Learning

by chantryscholar



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 03:47:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3835831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chantryscholar/pseuds/chantryscholar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fishing trip between friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning

“ _Eugh_! It’s all wriggly!”

 

Sera’s cry echoed over the lake as she dropped both her fishing pole and the worm she had been trying to hook into the warm shallows. The sight only made Blackwall sigh, wondering briefly if he had done the right thing in bringing her and the lad.

 

It had been a good idea at the time. Cole was getting more human by the day, soaking up knowledge like a sponge. So Blackwall had taken him under his wing for the little trip. There was nothing more human than learning to fish, and from what he could tell, watching the quiet young man sitting by the dock, he was figuring it out just fine. And Sera...well, she needed to get out of Skyhold, and perhaps learn a bit of _quiet_ fun. That stunt she had pulled with Madame de Fer’s skin cream was edging into dangerous territory.

 

While he was contemplating his life choices, Sera had retrieved the pole with a grimace. If her outburst hadn’t scared the fish away, her dropping the pole had, and so she set off to find a new spot. The dock creaked under her boots before she plopped down next to Cole. Fish were darting around the line he had in the water, mouthing at the bait curiously, but never once did he pull. She wrinkled her nose as she took a closer look.

 

Creepy hadn’t even put his bait on a hook! All he had done was tie the morsel to the line and dropped it in. _And_ he was hogging all the fish.

 

“Ugh! You’re supposed to catch the fish, not feed them. That’s what they’re gonna do for us.”

 

Cole shifted slightly to get more comfortable against the weathered wood. “But they like it. They don’t understand where it goes if I pull up the bait.”

 

Sera groaned, head in her hands as she watched the fish continue to mouth at the little tidbit. What a waste of time. Blackwall had been on something to bring them to the lake. Breathed in too much sawdust or horse or something. Getting her stuck on a dock with Creepy beside her, feeding the fish instead of having it feed them. _Boring_.

 

“A shield for the knife and bow--he wants to help, be there for us as we were for him. Little things like his father did, until he was gone. He won’t leave.”

 

“What-- _Cole_!” Sera glanced over in time to see the line go taut, the pole bowing as a fish grabbed onto the morsel with no intention of letting go. She grabbed Cole’s hands, forcing him to yank along the line, while the fish fought to stay in the water and swim away with its prize. “Daft tit, pull, _pull_! Don’t let it get away!”

 

The commotion drew Blackwall’s attention, with him half-expecting to put a stop to an argument or some nonsense. Instead, the man watched the two do battle with the fish until as one, they pulled the line up so sharp, the fish sailed through the air and onto the dock, sunlight glimmering on silver scales. Cole and Sera had overbalanced from their combined effort, both laying on the dock in a bit of a daze. The fish continued to flop, edging dangerously to the edge of the wood and almost back into the water, before Sera finally came to her senses.

 

She scooped the fish up in her bare hands, a shudder running through her at the slippery scales, and quickly dropped it into the lidded basket nearby. Cole was getting to his feet as Blackwall approached, his beard hiding the grin on his face, but radiating pride just the same. He peeked inside the basket. “Now there’s a fine catch. We’ll be eating that tonight, but first--Cole, you with me. Need to teach you to use those knives without sticking a man. You watch, Sera, you’ll want to learn this too.”

 

Blackwall picked up the basket, his mind already on how to best prepare the fish for the three of them. Cole had made as if to follow, before stopping after just a few steps, and turned back to Sera. She scrunched her nose up when she realized and brushed past him, still wiping her hands on her shirt. “What do you want now?”

 

“You called me Cole.” He said, shoulders rolling in a shrug. More human with each passing moment, thanks to the Inquisitor. “Not it, not him, just Cole. Why?”

 

“Ugh. Don’t read into it.” Sera muttered. Boots clattered on the dock as she walked away, but not before calling over her shoulder, “Hurry it up, weirdy! You get to touch the fish this time.”

  
Cole went to follow after her, towards the small fire that Blackwall was building, where he would show them both how to clean the fish and cook it. It wasn’t just him that was learning.


End file.
